SSA Terminals, an SSA Marine and Matson Navigation Co. joint venture, has introduced 33 new battery-electric yard tractors at the Port of Long Beach, the biggest deployment of its type on the West Coast, the port announced Nov. 30.
The new tractors, which replaced older versions that ran on gas and diesel, were funded in part by $50 million from the California Air Resources Board for the Sustainable Terminals Accelerating Regional Transformation.
SSA Terminals said that it worked with developers to create equipment and infrastructure that could keep up with demands of moving cargo in Long Beach. SSA Terminals also collaborated with Southern California Edison and the POLB.
The cargo-handling equipment is able to operate in two shifts with a chance to charge the tractors once a day. The new tractors boost the use of zero-emissions equipment at port by about 20%, the port said.
“Meeting our aggressive zero-emissions goals is not possible without the support of our partners, and this project is just another example of the shared commitment at the Port of Long Beach to a zero-emissions future,” Port CEO Mario Cordero said.
